Venetian blind bracket



June 25, 1957 K. A. KLENZ 2,796,926

VENETIAN BLIND BRACKET Filed lay 20. 1954 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 F'IE J Var/ ,4. /(/er7Z.

A 7' TORNEYS 8 INVENTOR.

June 25, 1957 K. A. KLENZ vsusmn BLIND BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mad Ilay 20. 1954 FIE E m R; N m m V my a A A m VENETIAN BLIND BRACKET Karl A. Klenz, San Anselmo, Calif., assignor to Lando Products, Inc., Sausalito, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,067 8 Claims. (21. 160-167) This invention relates to Venetian blind accessories and particularly to accessories of the type which are adapted to hold a raised Venetian blind in a predetermined position.

Those who are familiar with the construction of modern buildings appreciate the efforts which are being made to increase the use of natural light by increasing the size of the transparent portions of the building. This has resulted in architects designing the windows of some buildings in such a manner that the windows run substantially from the plane of the floor of the room to the plane of the ceiling. It has been found from a commercial standpoint, however, that in many buildings it is not practical to run the windows from floor to ceiling as previously pointed out but in most cases an attempt is made to approach that optimum as closely as possible, all other factors being considered.

One of the limiting factors on windows of this particular type arises from the ditficulties encountered in suspending the windows in such a manner thatthey may easily be washed. Conventional practice is to pivot the windows top and bottom in such a manner that they may be rotated about their vertical axes and thus cleaned, and it is windows which are hung in this particular manner with which I am concerned in connection with this invention. It will be appreciated when windows are pivoted as thus described, that obstacles which tend to limit or restrict the rotation of the window about its said vertical axis must be eliminated, and it is in connection with the elimination of any such obstacle formed by a Venetian blind with which this invention is involved.

Those who are familiar with Venetian blinds will appreciate that when the blind is raised it still hangs some distance from the ceiling or, to put it another way, even when the blind is raised to its uppermost position, it occupies considerable space. For example the conventional head rail of a Venetian blind may be 2 to 2 /2 inches square and when the slats and the bottom rail are drawn upwardly as far as possible, which position they occupy when the blind is raised, they form a formidable mass whose depth depends upon the number of slats but which, in substantially all instances, may approach 6 or 8 inches. It is apparent therefore that the window will have to be hung in such a manner that it will clear this obstacle or, as is more often the solution, the Venetian blind must be eliminated in its entirety.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bracket member which will engage the raised Venetian blind and to swing the same upwardly and out of the path of the rotating window and retain the same there for a desired period of time. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bracket which may be simply operated andwhich is substantially foolproof in its operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a bracket which, when in inoperative position, in no way hinders or obstructs the operation of the Venetian blind and which is substantially unnoticeable fromeither 2,796,926 Patented June 25, 19 57 the interior of the room or the exterior of the building.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of this kind which may be used in new constructions or which may be utilized in connection with presently existing constructions with a minimum of installation expense and trouble.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a front view of a Venetian blind in elevated position.

Figure 2 is a view of the blind illustrated in Figure 1 when the same is supported by my bracket.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail taken along the line 33 of Figure 1. V

Figure 4 is a view taken along the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of Figure 1 showing the head rail construction and also showing, in addition thereto, the Venetian blind in out-of-the-way position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bracket illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail taken along the line 77 of Figure 4.

As is Well known to those skilled in the art, a Venetian blind may be hung in a number of different ways but as shown in. th-e drawings herein I have illustrated the blind as being hung in a conventional window frame on the inside of the window. The frame is defined by wall portions .10 and a ceiling or upper portion 11. The head rail 12 from which the slats 13 and the remainder of the blind are suspended is, generally, and as illustrated. in the drawings herein, of box-like construction (see particularly Figure 4) and houses the tilting mechanism, et cetera. The ends of the head rail assembly 12 are adapted to be supported in conventional box-like supports 14. These supports 14 consist of an end wall 16 and side and bottom walls 17 and are adapted to receive the ends of the head rail assembly 12. In ordinary installations the end walls 16 are held flush against the supporting walls 10 by screws or any other suitable means. The Venetian blind assembly consisting of the slats 13 and the bottom rail 18 may be raised and lowered in the manner well known to those skilled in the art and the slats may be tilted about their longitudinal axes for the purpose of controlling the light to be admitted into the room. The construction of a conventional Venetian blind is well known and further description thereof is not needed. It should be pointed out howeverthat when the blind is in raised position, the slats 13, the bottom rail 18 and the head rail 12 are drawn into intimate contact with each other and form, in effect, a'solid wall hanging downwardly from the ceiling. The depth of this entire assembly will of course depend upon the number of slats, the depth of the head rail and the depth of the bottom rail, and when a Venetian blind extends from the ceiling to the floor this depth can be considerable.

As has previously been pointed out when such a blind is hung in a recess which also accommodates a window of the type which is pivoted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis for washing purposes, such a complete Venetian blind assembly can constitute a formidable barrier. As hasalsobeen previously pointed out this barrier must either be cleared by the window, thereby reducing the height of thewindow, or must be removed by eliminating the Venetian blind entirely.

The member isalso, provided with an arm 23 in the shape of a'T (in cross section) which is pivoted to the plate 21 on a pin 24. The pin 24 is rigidlyheld in the plate 21 and the arm 23 is free to rotate about the pin 24. A compression .spring 26 normally urges the member 23 into close .contactwith the member 21 andthe purpose of the spring will more Ifully hereinafter be described. The plate 21.is also provided with a pair of slots 27 and 28. That portion of the plate 21 immediately below the slot 27 is offset or flared outwardly, or in the general direction of the member 23 and forms a-lip or detent 31 whose purpose will more fully hereinafter be described. That portion of the plate 21'immediately adjacent one side edge of the slot 28 is also offset and forms a lip or detent 32 whose purpose will more fully hereinafter be described.

As 'has previously .been pointed out the member 23 is substantially T-shaped and the'leg 33 of the T is at substantially right angles .to -the plate 21 while the head 34 of theT is substantially parallel to the plate 21.

As is illustrated particularly in Figures 1 and 2 the plate 21 may be inserted between the end wall 16 of the supporting bracket 14 and the wall It]. When so positioned the member 23 may hang downwardly, as shown in Figures 1 and 4 and the member 23 engages the offset portion 32. The engagement of the offset portion 32 serves to retain the member 23 in the "position illustrated in both-Figures 1 and 4 which will hereinafter be referred to as the inoperative position, since it will be recalled the spring 26 tends to urge the members 21 and 23 into intimate engagement. When the Venetian blind is raised as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the bottom rail and the slats hang adjacent the member 23. When the member 23 is then swung to the position illustrated in Figure 5 for example the leg 33 thereof will engage the side edges of the slats 13 and the side edge of the bottom rail 18 and will swing the same upward to the position illustrated in Figure 5 and retain them there. The member 23 may be swung outwardlyagainst the spring 26 so thatit clears the offset portion 32 and, as it continues its arc in a clockwise direction as illustrated in Figure 6, the member 23 will engage the offset portion 31 as it clears the same and, after it clears the same, will rest thereon and be supported thereby. Thusthe detent 31 serves to support the arm 23 and the combined slats and bottom rail combination substantially as illustrated in Figure 5. In this manner all of the Venetian blind with the exception of the head rail is swung to an out-of-the-way position and the window is free tobe rotated and washed.

When the washing has been completed and the window has been swung to its-normally closed position, the arm 23 may be swung horizontally to clear the offset 31 in such a manner that itis allowed to swing downwardly and in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 5 and 6. Thus the member is swung fromoperative to inoperative position and the Venetian blind is'free for raising, lowering, tilting, etc.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a supporting bracket which is unobtrusive and in no way aifects the operation of the Venetian blind when the bracket is in its inoperative position. In addition the bracketis retained in its inoperative position by the offset 32 and the effect of the spring 26 upon the arm 23. It is only when it is desired that the Venetian blind be elevated to an out-of-the-Way position that the arm 23 need be swung to= its operative position at which time it engages and is supported by the offset 31. In .this positionitsupports the end rail and the end slats in such a manner that they are out of the way. This construction servesto remove the barrier which is, in etfect, created by a drawn Venetian blind and furthermore, serves to remove thesame for the entire period of time during which its removal issought. V i

It is further apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a device which may be'inserted in presently existing structures without modifying the conventional presently existing hardware. It is also obvious that 1 .4 have invented such a device which is simple to manufacture, easy to operate, and substantially foolproof in its operation.

I claim:

1. In a device for use on a Venetian blind of the type having its ends supported by the walls adjacent the window and having a horizontal tilt rail journalled in the supporting means for the Venetian blind, the Venetian blind consisting of a plurality of Venetian blind slats which normally hangina vertical planeand are adapted to be moved between an-extended position covering the window and a gathered position near the top of the window; the device comprising a plate at one end of the Venetian blind adjacent the supporting means for the Venetian blind, said-plate lying in a-plane at right angles to the horizontal tilt rail, an arm having one end rotatably mounted on said plate and movable between a normally vertical position to a substantially horizontal p osition,-said.ar'rn having .alength substantially less than length .of the extended Venetian blind, the arm lying adjacent the ends of the Venetian blind slats and engaging the same when theyare in a gathered position so that the Venetian'blind slats are moved from their normally vertical plane to asubstantially horizontal plane as the arm is swung from a-vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, and detent means for retaining said arm in a horizontal position. i i

2. In .a device for use on a Venetian blindof the type having .its sends supported by the walls adjacent the windew and having a horizontal tilt rail journalled in the supporting means for the Venetian blind, .the Venetian blind consisting of a plurality of Venetian blind slats which normally hangin .a vertical planeand are adapted to be moved between an extended position covering the window and a gathered position near thetop of the window; the device comprising .a plate .at each end of the Venetian .blind and adjacent the supporting means for the Venetian 'blind,,said plates lying in a plane at right angles to thehorizontal tilt rail, an arm-mounted oneach of said plates and movable between a normally vertical position and a substantially horizontalpositiomsaid arms having alength substantially less than the length of the extended Venetian .blind, said arms lying adjacent the ends-of the Venetianblind slats, means on said arms for engaging the ,gathered Venetian blind slats when said arms are swung from aznormally vertical position to a substantially horizontal position to carry the Venetian blind slats into a generally horizontal plane, and detent means for retaining said arms in a horizontal position.

3. A device as .in-claim 2 wherein each of said arms is comprised .of-one leg lying in a plane at right angles to said plates and lying behind said Venetian blind slats when said slats are .lyingin-a vertical plane, and a leg at right angles'to said first named leg and lying adjacent the ends of saidVenetian blind slats.

4. A device as -,in claim 3 wherein said detent means comprises an-offsetdn each of said plates and spring means mounted on each of said arms for continuously urging said arms towards said. plates and into engagement with said offsets.

5,. A deviceas in claim 2 together with detent means for retaining said arms in a vertical position.

. -6. In adevicefonuseon a Venetian blind of the type having .;its ends supportedby-the walls adjacent the windows'andghavingzaehorizontal tilt rail journalled in the supportingmjeans'for the Venetian iblind, the Venetian blind consisting ;of a plurality .of horizontal Venetian blind slats which normally hang in a vertical plane and are adapted :to1be moved betweenan extended position covering the .window and a gathered position near the top of the Window; theidevice comprising a plate at each endtof 'saidVenetian blind adjacent the, supporting means for the Venetianblind, said plates lying in planes at righLangles tto the'horizontal tilt rail, an arm mounted on-zeach of said.plates,:one-entl of each of said-arms being rotatably mounted on the plate and the other end being free, said arms being movable between a normally vertical position and a substantially horizontal position, said arms being comprised of one leg lying in a plane at right angles to said plate and lying behind said Venetian blind slats when said slats are in a vertical plane and a leg at right angles to said first named leg and lying adjacent the ends of said Venetian blind slats, said arm having a length substantially less than the length of the extended Venetian blind, the gathered Venetian blind slats and said horizontal tilt bar being moved to lie in a substantially horizontal plane when said arms are swung from a normally vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, and detent means for retaining said arms in a horizontal position.

7. A device as in claim 6 together with detent means for retaining said arms in a vertical position.

8. A device as in claim 7 wherein said detent means comprises an offset in each of said plates and spring means for continuously urging said arms towards their respective plates to engage said offsets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,676,567 Yeager July 10, 1928 2,324,536 Pratt July 20, 1943 

